


Turnmoil

by Lillyweed



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra, Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Almost Happy Ending, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Bittersweet Ending, Emotionally unstable Lin, Tenzin is a jerk
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-08
Updated: 2021-02-07
Packaged: 2021-03-13 15:21:44
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 969
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29280633
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lillyweed/pseuds/Lillyweed
Summary: Lin's life has changed a lot these past couple of years, and not for the better. She takes matters into her own hands, but as she has learned, things don't always go her way. Join Lin as she learns for the first time to live on her own.
Relationships: Lin Beifong/Original Male Character(s), Lin Beifong/Tenzin, Pema/Tenzin (Avatar)
Comments: 6
Kudos: 23





	Turnmoil

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own the Legend of Korra, all credit goes to the rightful creators.   
> I am currently working on other fics, so this may not be the best to add another story in the mix, but oh well.   
> This was a stir of the moment idea that I didn't want to forget, so I obviously wrote it down.   
> TW for Suicide, Self-harm, and Major Character Death  
> I used this to procrastinate, so enjoy.

Lin sat quietly with her cup of peppermint tea. A candle she had lit long ago was the only light that shone in her kitchen. It was around midnight and she had just finished her dinner, alone, yet again. In all honesty, at 36 almost 37, she thought her life would be a bit different. When she was younger, in her twenties, she had imagined at this age she would be Chief of Police, have a loving husband, particularly Tenzin, maybe two or three airbending kids, some earth bending kids, hopefully, a girl, and maybe a nonbender or possibly water bending child if she was lucky. She would have her loving family surrounding her, her mother would finally return and tease her about life, maybe about how fat she would have become if she was pregnant, Su would be back from her absence and she would be a loving aunt and sister and would have apologized. She would have her sister back. Sokka, Zuko, Suki, Aang, and Katara would come for family meals and Lin would meditate with Tenzin in the mornings and he would have a steaming bowl of dumplings for her when she got back from a late-night shift. He would stay awake for her, eat dinner with her, and go to sleep with her in his arms. However, as time went on she realized things most certainly don't always go her way. 

Now she sat alone, in her dimly lit kitchen, watching through newspapers as her family's lives changed around her for the better, while hers only got worse. She was currently shifting through the mail. There wasn't much, at least not as much as she used to get. She searched for Bumi's daily letters about travels at sea and his crazy military adventures, Kya's travels around the world or how the Southern Water Tribe was treating her, Katara's daily letters about her life and well being she would usually receive. Sometimes, she would get letters from her old school and academy friends, old partners, coworkers, some officers, some old friends from her short-lived travels or friends she once knew through her parents some time ago. Sometimes, rarely, considering she wasn't as close to Izumi anymore, she would get letters from her or other members of the Firelord's family. 

The letters that were in her pile, were none of those. She picked up a slightly wrinkled one. She saw the seal and immediately took a sharp inhale. It was from Zaofu, obviously an attempt from her sister for her to travel to Zaofu to reconcile. When Su first left, Lin had waited and dreamed of the day Su would send her a letter of her improved life, apologizing for everything, and begging her to take her back as her sister. It seemed however that time had changed both her and Lin. Su's letters contained daily reports of Zaofu, constantly rubbing her success in Lin's face. She bragged about how she and their mother were on good terms, how she had the picture-perfect husband with amazing kids, and saying she should come to Zaofu because she was obligated to spend time with her and her niece and nephews. There were no apologies, no asking for forgiveness, not even asking how she was. Instead, she received constant pestering and of course a family holiday photo, broadcasting just how amazing her family was.

She shifted through the pile again, there were some about work, one from the council, then another caught her eye. She picked up the letter but gave it a small frown. She had thought it was a possible letter from her mother, considering it looked automated. It had Air nomad swirls around the envelope. She cautiously opened it. 

You are cordially invited to the joining of Master Tenzin and the Lady Pema  
This once-in-a-lifetime ceremony will be held at Air Temple Island at Noon.  
Join the Last Airbender and Lady Pema's family as they celebrate this momentous occasion.   
All regards  
Pema and Tenzin

Lin quickly crumpled the paper as her vision began to blur. Was Pema really this petty? She just had to shove it in her face. Lin got it, Tenzin had chosen Pema not her, but damn they just had to go all out and invite her to their wedding. She got up and threw it away. 

She was tired, so tired. Work seemed to have no meaning anymore without Toph, it was her only reason to be Chief after all. She no longer had her friends, who either left her, drifted apart, or had passed away. Her sister didn't need her when she had everything she ever wanted, and worst of all, the love of her life tossed her away like a rag doll. 

Her heart couldn't take it anymore. So many people had left her despite her Constance in their lives. Had all of her sacrifices been for nothing? Her life was going nowhere. Every day was the same. It was too much. The growing void slowly forming in her soul was getting harder and harder to ignore. It was overwhelming, she had to do something. 

She drove and drove and drove until she was certain she had no idea where she was. It was a small town outside of Republic City. Only a few street lamps lit the streets. She stood at the edge of the cliff with tears in her eyes. It was better this way. No one cared anymore. If anything, she only made things worse. Her whole family was uncomfortable with her presence now with Pema. They had welcomed Pema with open arms, but in the process cast her aside to nothing. Maybe in another life, she would get what she had always wanted, but not in this one. It was better this way.

With that, she jumped.


End file.
